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List of organisations / Finding clubs

I have decided I want to pursue my dream of owning my own dojo. Im working out what I need to do to get there in terms of skills, finances, having a job to live off to begin with e.c.t. but I think the first thing I need to do is find a really good club or association that I can train with and grade with.

I was wondering how you would go about finding a new club, or if there were a list of associations anywhere. I currently do Taekwondo, but im more than happy to branch out and do other arts. Im planning on starting judo in a few weeks. I could carry on training in taekwondo if I find a club I like, but looking around there are a ton of clubs that mostly have prohibitive training methods. I.e. to grade you must be able to do breaking, fancy jumping kicks and 3 / 1 step sparring and these are things I want to not really focus on.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of how to get started looking for clubs that will help me acheive my goals (building a comprehensive fighting sport based on something like sambo, sanda or Kudo) that is results focused in teaching and is applicable to self defence as well as sport (obviously with changes, but I think that a competition combat sport should still replicate real combat as closely as possible, otherwise its not a combat sport). Im in Birmingham UK if that helps

you live 20 mins up the road from me (i live in kidderminster). as you are proberly aware there are many clubs and associations in and around Birmingham and the surrounding area.

In terms of skills, one would need a Black Belt and be over the age of 18 years, i simply started hiring a church hall teaching twice a week. My first 2 students were my 2 step children, over 3 years i now have 40 registered adult students.

Starting up by yourself may seem scary to start with but with the right advice etc it shouldnt be that difficult. its always good if you have a few friends who are interested in training with you, if not get advertising before hiring halls and getting insurance.

If looking for clubs simply google your area or visit Association sites etc, they will have a list of clubs and links etc.

As i live near i may be able to help further, if interested my contact details can be found by clicking on my name etc. Hope this is of some help.

you live 20 mins up the road from me (i live in kidderminster). as you are proberly aware there are many clubs and associations in and around Birmingham and the surrounding area.

In terms of skills, one would need a Black Belt and be over the age of 18 years, i simply started hiring a church hall teaching twice a week. My first 2 students were my 2 step children, over 3 years i now have 40 registered adult students.

Starting up by yourself may seem scary to start with but with the right advice etc it shouldnt be that difficult. its always good if you have a few friends who are interested in training with you, if not get advertising before hiring halls and getting insurance.

If looking for clubs simply google your area or visit Association sites etc, they will have a list of clubs and links etc.

As i live near i may be able to help further, if interested my contact details can be found by clicking on my name etc. Hope this is of some help.

Kind regards,

Jason

Thanks for the advice :)

A black belt is my first goal, but im a long way off of it, and kind of conflicted about it. I purpously have not graded in Taekwondo becasue I felt that focusing on patterns (not the same as kata in my eyes) breaking, spinning kicks, learning korean e.c.t. would take away from the time I spend developing myself as a fighter or an athlete. I regulary spend 11 hours a week doing something to either help me advance as a martial artist, or as an athlete and at the end of that I feel pretty beat up, and like I dont have the time to waste on useless things. Because of that I still only have my green tag from when I was a kid. If I am going to grade to black belt, I want it to be with an association that I beleive in, and with a syllabus that activly rewards fighting skill with rank, instead of detracting from it by diverting attention to tricks and stunts. I guess that doesnt matter as I might end up changing styles anyway, but It would be nice if I were a bit longer along that road to having a black belt

I think there's some Good NGB's about and some Bad NGB's about who are just out for making Money out of the Instructors and members.

There is the one that was in the past a really excellent NGB to be a member of, but since they have allowed the Helicopter Kancho's "Sensei's" to teach classes WITHOUT a genuine Dan Grade and only around 6-12 months training I not considered them. There's others that say "you're in charge of your club" but once signed up begin to Dictate what you can and can not do.

There's quite a few that I could recommend but predominantly I would suggest if you are Karate look for a Karate Organisation Jujitsu for a Jujitsu Organisation etc. Multistyle NGB's tend to be Bias to the Core Style of the Commitee Members and the Grading Panels are a bit bias too.

A NGB SHOULD be interested in YOUR school and YOUR students. Also they should visit YOUR dojo at least once every 3 years to see if you are at the level they insist on etc.

I dispute the fact that a few NGB's insist that DAN grades must be done by the panel for 100's of £'s It doesn't cost me 100's of £'s to grade them. I have a 7th Dan a 5th Dan and myself on the Panel when I do my Dan grades in my Dojo and I'm harder on them than the visiting examiners.

I'm really Happy with my Curent NGB as I've had so much guidance from them.

I love Bunkai or Ohyo and the NGB I'm with looks like it is too.

Grade Recognition. Unless you're travelling compete in National or International Competitions they're usually only valid within the Dojo you train at anyway. too many Instructors are scared of letting Dan grades from other styles wear Black belts in their Dojos. why, maybe ego. I dunno

I think there's some Good NGB's about and some Bad NGB's about who are just out for making Money out of the Instructors and members.

There is the one that was in the past a really excellent NGB to be a member of, but since they have allowed the Helicopter Kancho's "Sensei's" to teach classes WITHOUT a genuine Dan Grade and only around 6-12 months training I not considered them. There's others that say "you're in charge of your club" but once signed up begin to Dictate what you can and can not do.

There's quite a few that I could recommend but predominantly I would suggest if you are Karate look for a Karate Organisation Jujitsu for a Jujitsu Organisation etc. Multistyle NGB's tend to be Bias to the Core Style of the Commitee Members and the Grading Panels are a bit bias too.

A NGB SHOULD be interested in YOUR school and YOUR students. Also they should visit YOUR dojo at least once every 3 years to see if you are at the level they insist on etc.

I dispute the fact that a few NGB's insist that DAN grades must be done by the panel for 100's of £'s It doesn't cost me 100's of £'s to grade them. I have a 7th Dan a 5th Dan and myself on the Panel when I do my Dan grades in my Dojo and I'm harder on them than the visiting examiners.

I'm really Happy with my Curent NGB as I've had so much guidance from them.

I love Bunkai or Ohyo and the NGB I'm with looks like it is too.

Grade Recognition. Unless you're travelling compete in National or International Competitions they're usually only valid within the Dojo you train at anyway. too many Instructors are scared of letting Dan grades from other styles wear Black belts in their Dojos. why, maybe ego. I dunno

You don't NEED any grade at all. You need to know what you're doing. One generally indicates the other, but not necessarily.
That said, you'd be hard pressed to get many students for a Karate-type art without a black belt. They will expect you to have one.